Hot pursuit of armed fugitive in hockey mask locks down Keene State campus for 5 hours

KEENE - The search for a man with a handgun fleeing from a Winchester Street home lead to a five hour lock down of Keene State College campus early Saturday morning.

Police responded around 1:06 a.m. to 85 Winchester Street for a report of criminal threatening.

The reported altercation inside the home involved a man displaying a black handgun, police said Saturday morning.

The suspect then fled on foot onto Keene State College Campus.

The man is described as white, blond hair, wearing blue jeans, no shirt. He also was wearing a Boston Bruins 'Old style goaltenders mask.'

Police notified Campus Safety and the campus immediately went into lockdown mode, which also called for a safety alert sent out via cell phones and email to the student body.

Police said a second incident occurred on campus just a few minutes after the first altercation but the incident was not reported to the police for approximately two hours.

According to the report, a Keene State student was walking with friends between the college student center and dining hall when the suspect approached the group of people 'drew the pistol and demanded the student's sweatshirt. Once the suspect retrieved the sweatshirt, he then fled on foot further onto campus,' police said.

No one was injured during either incidents.

A Keene PD K-9 attempted a track the suspect and then conducted an area search of the college campus failed.

Several police officers were assigned to stay on campus for the remainder of the night.

The campus remained in lockdown for five hours until it was lifted at 5:30 a.m.

Campus Safety plans to have heightened levels of patrols until further notice.